Decree Number Twenty-Six
by mschmnged
Summary: new Headmistress Umbridge posted many ridiculous decrees but Decree Number Twenty-Six is just insane; girls and boys must be at least 6 inches apart. Furious, Harry Potter storms the halls until he overhears Draco complaining about the same decree only to have his dirty secret revealed... Harry(T)/Draco(B) Drarry, some Harry/Cedric, M rating comes in later, books/movies mix world
1. The Decree

Headmistress Dolores Umbridge was a right cunt.

Dust snowed violently on the passerby students as Flitch; the squib janitor, hammered into the corridor wall to hang a thick frame hosting the latest decree from the High Bitch of Hogwarts.

The masses of cunning Ravenclaws, brave Gryffindors, proud Slytherins and oblivious Hufflepuffs didn't waste a glance at the freshly inked parchment- they all knew the decree was going to be just as ridiculous as the last twenty five Umbridge had hastily delivered since the fateful day she had been appointed to Hogwarts by the Ministry.

Nothing slipped by the woman, it seemed as though she was just writing down on a whim whatever was annoying her in that second. If a student so much as flicked a Bernie Bots Every Flavor Bean in her general direction, all sweets from Hogsmeade and care packages would be confiscated. The whole school attempted to tip-toe around on their best behavior but the stress of it was causing cracks.

Harry Potter massaged the aching scrawl on his hand where Umbridge inflicted his detention as the between-class rush of students bustled around him. He knew he was blocking traffic, he knew he should be rushing off to Divination, he knew Peeves would be around soon for his daily toilet-water-balloon tossing… yet he couldn't help but to stop and scoff at the latest 'dipshit' decree. Umbridge must be running out of things to outlaw.

In large offensive type, the parchment boasted:

"Boys & girls are not permitted to be within 6 inches of each other."

Hearing a nearby sob, Harry turned to see a frail third-year girl looking at the same decree, tears welling up in her eyes as she clutched a much larger Ravenclaw boy. No sooner did the girl bury her splotchy face into his embrace when she was forcibly sent sprawling across the hall by some unspoken spell cast by the power-walking pink menace herself.

"Hem-hem!"

The sticky sweet cough wasn't fooling anyone, least of all Harry. Umbridge was out to see what reaction her latest decree would get so she could suck in the satisfaction.

"Well what do we think Mr. Potter?" She squinted daringly at Harry with her piggy eyes, waiting eagerly for him to misspeak so she could dish out more detention. Harry did not feel like reopening his flesh when it had hardly healed yet, so he slowly chose his words with care.

"Very… creative" He lied, despite the new creed Dolores had him live by as dictated on the back of his hand. The pink eyesore of a woman drew up proud and tall (as tall as she could get anyway) and chuckled;

"Yes well i had some inspiration! I heard through a little birdie in the owlery that a certain little someone-who-lived has the admiration of a little certain Ravenclaw seeker! I figured, if i nip this in the bud i might as well make it fair and impart the rule on everyone! Got to keep things about the school work around here, not silly little crushes!"

"If thats the case then i'd have a talk with Filtch if i were you" Harry spat, unable to hold another scathing thought back. He hurried away before the flushed toad could grasp what he just insinuated, just in time as the squib in question came skipping loyally up to the headmistress, drooling like a lovesick house elf.

'This is getting out of hand!' Harry thought, fuming as he pressed through the halls,

'This woman has to be taken care of, why isn't anyone doing anything!?'

Harry's imagination went wild with all the creative torture he could think of for a woman that foul, becoming so engrossed in the fantasy, he hadn't paid attention to where his feet were carrying him. A familiar chill in the corridors stirred Harry, stopping him dead in his tracks out of confusion. Harry had accidentally turned to the dungeons instead of the forrest impersonating classroom where Firenze had probably started teaching Divination long ago. He hadn't even noticed the halls thinned of students, now comfortably on time in their classes.

'Shit!' Harry's stomach churned. 'I hope Umbridge isn't hawking over class today…'

Ruffling his untidy dark hair, Potter sank into a nearby alcove in defeat. Nothing to do now but wait for the next class. Questioning why he unconsciously chose to walk to the dungeons of all places, Harry jumped as he heard the smart slap of shoes on the flagstone.

'Oh gods!' He fretted, 'Umbridge already knows I'm not in class!'

Harry promptly unfurled his invisibility cloak he had tightly folded in the front of his pack. He had put it there just a few weeks before as a precautionary measure after constantly running into Umbridge an uncanny amount of times. Properly tucked under the velvety folds, Harry tried to quiet his breath as a familiar drawling voice bellowed out;

"It's ridiculous, honestly Blaise!" Draco Malfoy strutted to the dungeons puffed up and clearly agitated, "How's a guy supposed to get a proper squeeze in with a decree like that!"

Harry snickered under his breath, surprised to hear one of the Inquisitorial Squad complaining openly behind the headmistress's back.

"Oh come off it Draco," Blaise, dark and dashing, towered over Malfoy.

"Only girl around here who wants a squeeze from you is Parkinson, and she made it very clear you didn't touch her with your ten foot pole the night of the Yule Ball."

"If that wasn't a compliment you hid in there i would put your lights out right here and now!" Draco threatened, though he stepped a little further away from his companion, obviously knowing he wouldn't get a punch in if he tried.

"She's just not what I'm looking for, i have very particular tastes"

"Oh i can guess who that taste is you want." Blaise's face squinted into the fuck-i-can't-believe-i-said-that-aloud expression and waited uncomfortably for Malfoy's reaction.

The Slytherin seeker's steps faltered before Blaise and turned slowly back to him, sleeking his white-blonde hair away from his grey eyes as they flickered menacingly.

"Would you like to elaborate Blaise?" Malfoy's voice was so thick with contempt even Harry gulped in fear before his wrath. Blaise had clearly hit a sore spot and knew something Harry suddenly really really wanted to know. The two Slytherins were dangerously close to being out of earshot, so Harry made the daring choice to uproot from his hidden alcove and cautiously sneak closer, deeper into the dungeons towards the enemy's common room.

"Uh, hey, i'm sorry i was just joking around." Blaise stammered, walking a little faster down the flame lit corridor, trying to leave the situation he roused up.

"No no, please Blaise, entertain me here, what little bedtime stories has Pansy been scrambling up about my love life, i want to know!"

Harry could have found better things to do with his time, but going to class late wasn't an option and homework wasn't half as tempting as this. Besides, Harry had always been curious of Draco and his motivations; ever since they first met in Madam Malkins robe shop in their first year Harry felt a strange draw to the villainous blonde. No one else seemed to care as much as Harry what this snake was up to, so he felt it was his duty to keep tabs on him.

Feeling validated in his choice to follow the green clad students to their lair, Harry rushed along as to not miss entering their common room as they uttered the password; "Boomslang Skin." No sooner had Harry invisibly slipped in through the passageway when he was almost maimed by a sliver oil lamp chucked across the room. It shattered on the damp stone wall and flames licked dangerously as the oil spread. Harry had no time to worry about this as a silver trinket box whistled past his ear and rebounded off the door.

"TELL ME YOU PRAT!" Draco huffed, a crystal inkwell was chosen as his new weapon, waiting in his white-knuckled grip to be tossed at the panicked 'friend' hiding behind a well-stuffed couch.

"What is going on?" The prissy pug face of Pansy Parkinson peered out from the girl's dormitory; she and a dark haired boy had cut class to attempt to break Umbridge's new 6-inches-apart decree, but it was obviously a failed attempt due to her face sporting a fresh cut from being magically forced apart.

"What are you saying about me Pansy?" Draco hissed, rounding back on her, allowing Blaise to escape up to the boy's rooms.

"W-whaaaat me? No o i didn't-"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

"I say a lot of things, what specaif-"

"PANSY, i WILL hex your face more ugly than it is!"

Exasperated, the girl whipped her long hair out of her eyes (which she rolled). Pansy was clearly on the cusp of caving and Harry couldn't explain why he was getting so excited to find out what was making Malfoy this crazy. He felt a little disgusting with this guilty pleasure, but he was ready to hex the answer out of the girl himself before he'd wind up late to yet another class.

"I just saiiiid that you're lucky; you get a loophole in this new stupid decree of her highness's." Pansy was clearly still sore at Umbridge for making it hard for her to sleaze with this unnamed Slytherin boy between classes, whom had now smartly snuck off to the boy's dorms away from the confrontation.

"What?" Draco subsided his anger for bafflement, he was looking very ruffled; blond hair no longer perfectly slicked but instead falling softly over his wide eyes, his crisp school shirt jutted half hazardly out from his crumpled jumper. Even his usually perfectly placed Inquisitorial Squad badge had flown off his heaving chest at some point. The room stood in silence, waiting for elaboration.

"Oh my gawd, don't make me come out with it for you." Pansy whined, her eyes glistening with mischief. "You know… only GIRLS and BOYS need to stay apart."

Draco continued to stand amidst his rubble, agape.

"Becauuuuuuuse," The girl drawled, now clearly amused, "You want to be six inches closer to booooooys."

Harry didn't know how to process this. First he was impressed. That was a huge loophole in Umbridge's decree to prevent hanky-panky, one he was sure not many people had thought of. Then he wondered how many students in Hogwarts felt sexually inclined that way. It had never been brought up before that there was that possibility of students not conforming to one sexuality. Though he supposed, why should it be brought to attention, its nobody's business who likes what with who.

But Harry never considered Draco's preferences before… Harry never thought about Draco's softer side much at all, he didn't think he had one. But it made sense, obviously Draco didn't hate everyone, just Harry, Weasley's and Mudbloods; so he must like, even like-LIKE someone in the school. Thinking of Draco lusting after someone, another boy at that, kissing and groping at a guy… Harry felt an uncomfortable heat in his gut as the image of lips clashing flashed in his mind. He quickly banished the thought as Draco's voice rang in his ear, realizing how dangerously close he was to the Slytherin.

"Wha- i… no. What?

"Draco, baby," Pansy coxed, reaching out to him with a motherly intent,

"You told me about that dream remember? I know you were pretty drunk at the ball but come on, you know you were just dying to spill the beans."

"Wha…what." Draco looked pitiful as he withered in Pansy's grasp, sinking into the nearby armchair, "No i wouldn't have told you… your fat mouth…"

"Im going to ignore that." She snapped, but quickly she resumed her comforting coos, "Draco you dreamed about him. You told me how you can't stop obsessing… do you remember the dream? The one where you followed him into the quidditch showers? You were going to beat him up but instead you… beat him off?" She snickered, proud of herself.

Draco looked up in disgust. "NO. I never-"

"Or the one," She guffawed, "Where he kept you as a pet after you were turned into a rat and you saw him-"

"SHUT UP i was a FERRET you moron!"

"Aha! You admit it!" Pansy was very proud of herself indeed, she leapt up and pounced around in glee, gushing about like a Lockhart fangirl.

"Oooh you have to get with him! Please Draco it would be so hot knowing you're sucking that prat's face, it's destiny i tell you!"

Harry was still in shock over the news of Draco's sexuality. Combine that with having never seen Draco unravel before AND sneaking into the Slytherin's common room and that chalks up to a very big day. Potter was ready to leave the dorms to go blabber the news in Ron's confidence but he wasn't sure how he could open the door without the two Slytherins noticing. Very much so stuck, Harry edged closer to the door, still wary of the leftover flames consuming the rest of the oil from the smashed lamp. Harry held his ear as close to the door as he dared, listening for the sound of an entering student so he could slip past.

"Draco baby, stop moping!" Pansy continued to chatter,

"The first step is admitting it to yourself and coming out of that broom closet you've been so deeply wedged in! You don't have to start with snogging him, you can have any guy in the school, shag a few others for practice!"

"I don't want others!" Draco snapped suddenly, snaring Harrys full attention once more. All three of them were shocked to hear such a testimony; could Draco actually be feeling something other than hate or pride? Capable of something bigger than himself, something real? Harry was shocked that Draco could have more emotional range than a teaspoon and was intrigued. This was a side of Draco he would never allow Harry to see. Something barley anyone would ever be privy to.

"Draco…" Pansy breathed with anticipation, "Are you in love with him?"

Malfoy say there, hunched over in the leather chair, weighted by his thoughts. The air around him seem to stay still, holding the moment dear. Harry almost missed the tell-tale click of the common room door being unlocked from the other side as he waited for a name to be uttered. Frustrated with his only chance to escape, Harry prepared to slip past the unsuspecting Slytherin about to walk into the fray.

"I… god Pansy, whats wrong with me?" Draco brushed his blonde hair away from his face in his signature way. A small barley-there first year pushed through the door and went unnoticed by Malfoy. Harry stepped unwilling outside the door but kept close as it closed and heard just before it shut;

"I'm in love with Potter."

* * *

><p><strong>ooo0000ooooo00o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oooooo000<strong>

Decree from the High Shipper Mschmnged;

I know how much it sucks waiting for the hot smutty goods in a fan fiction, and this fiction of mine is brand new and not near when i want anything sluttastic to happen. i want to develop a feel and understanding tangled in closely with the world J.K.R. gave us. Because i am not a patient person and i do not expect you to be specially after seeing a 'M' rating, consult my fan fiction 'Thats My Shirt' for a instant smut-satisfaction short sex romp. please stay tuned for more development here, it will get steamy, but it must unfurl slowly as to tantalize the readers :)


	2. The Find

Harry Potter found himself sorely distracted all through Defense Against the Dark Arts. Though it was for the best since Headmistress Umbridge's class mostly consisted of reading a book years beneath their talent, not learning a damned thing. Staring at his desk with a vacant stare, a newfound loss for words was in his favor because it kept Harry's mouth shut and out of detention.

The questions Harry had about Draco Malfoy's sexual preference and choice of love interest continued to breed and branch out as far as his mind dared, distracting him not just through his DAtDA class but the following dinner as well; rendering him silent as his prodded his shepherd's pie.

He had chosen to greedily hold onto the news instead of his original idea to confide in Ron; with him now being a large part of the gossip, Harry just wasn't ready for all the questions until he had his own figured out.

He could already imagine what Ron would say;

"What!? Gross! Malfoy? You don't fancy him back do you? No no of course not… but you haven't been jerkin' him along right? OH that's not what i meant!"

Harry certainly didn't want to tell Hermione, he had a sick fear she would laugh and tell him she always knew about Draco's infatuation. Even though it was quite ridiculous to expect, Hermione always had a sixth sense for these things, having accurately guessed Cho's feelings on more than one occasion.

Harry stayed up much too late that same night pondering on his own preferences in the aftermath of his flighty relationship with Cho. She was the very first person Harry had ever wanted more than friendship from, but that feeling had been waning quickly ever since their sloppy wet kiss and disastrous date in Hogsmeade.

He started to wonder what he even had liked about her besides appearances; her hair whipping about on a broomstick was lovely, the way her almond eyes squinted back into her flushed cheeks was intoxicating… but it wasn't often when her eyes were doing that from laughter, they were more often crunched up with tears. Harry supposed he didn't even know that much about her… he just really liked having someone else around that was just as upset over Cedric's death as he was, someone else who truly understood the gravity and truth of the matter.

Cedric was such a wonderful person; he always found a reason to smile, always found a way to friend everyone without giving into peer pressure, and he was always finding the silver lining in any situation…

'I guess,' Harry smiled to himself, 'you could just say Cedric was a particularly good finder.'

He was a handsome fellow too, Harry could remember the pang of jealousy he felt at the Yule Ball as Cedric and Cho swept into the hall together, wondering if Cho could like someone like him after being with a catch like Cedric; all dashing in his fitted dress robes with his gold-spun hair swept casually yet sculpted off to the side… did he and Cho match their robes? Harry found that he could not remember what Cho had worn or how she plaited her hair…

'she probably hadn't worn make-up in case she cried!' Harry laughed aloud at the thought but stifled it quickly as Ron stirred in the four poster nearby.

Sitting in the dead of night surrounded by the sounds of sleep around him, dread washed over Harry as he remembered Cho only started crying so much after Cedric died. He was so young, his death so unfair. He could have lived on for years and years to come, he was more fit than anyone in the school, Harry could remember the feel of taught ropey muscle under the Triwizard jersey as he clutched onto the lifeless body with a death grip even Dumbledore had trouble loosing.

Harry could feel his eye lids becoming leaded, his neck dipping his head to the pillows. Cedric was a good fellow, he had helped Harry with the Golden Egg challenge, pulling the fourth year student aside to insinuate the solution;

"You know the Prefects' bathroom on the fifth floor? It's not a bad place for a bath. Just take your egg and... mull things over in the hot water."

It was such a cryptic message from the Hufflepuff, his cocky grin made it hard for Harry to know how to take it, but it had been life saving advice and probably been one of the best baths in his life, specially compared to the cold-water-only 5-minute timed showers at the Dursleys.

Harry could still remember the first time he twisted the jewel-set spigots around the pool-like tub, gushing forth the most intoxicating scents and dazzling displays of bubbled bath. Slipping into the warm embrace of perfumed water, treading along the tub's length in tranquility, realization hit as Harry spotted the oversized egg waiting patiently on the white marbled floor. He slapped a wet arm down on the tub's edge and reached, pulling the clue close and pawed at the glossy surface until the egg split open with a screech. Panicking, Harry snapped it shut, yet dropped it as he heard someone speak behind him;

"I'd try putting it in the water if i were you."

Cedric stood taller than normal to Harry's dismay, making him feel somehow even more exposed than naked as he already was. The Handsome Hufflepuff strut across the candlelit prefect's bathroom to turn off the overflowing taps, nothing more than a fluffy towel draped precariously around his hips. He knelt along the edge Harry hung on to, grinning not only with his pearly teeth but with his soft grey eyes… Harry was lost in the familiarity of the color, there had always been something about the color grey- most people saw it for its drab poor connotations; quite like the stain his Aunt Petunia used on the oversized hand-me-downs he was supposed to wear to the terrible muggle school he had almost been sent to. But Harry had recently started to notice that grey could be a very warm color.

"Go on then… open it under the water Harry."

Cedric pointed at the gold-finished egg in the Gryfindor's foamy grasp, waiting patiently. Harry gulped, for air and out of nervousness from hearing his name said in such a breath. He dipped beneath the color-tinted water to sit at the stone bottom of the tub, hearing the lovely mermaid's chorus, but became distracted as a pair of feet broke the bath's surface. Losing a bubble of precious air to a yelp of shock, Harry propelled himself back to the surface, whipping his slopping black hair away from his face to see… to see the older boy advancing on him, breaking a wake of bubbles.

"D-Diggory?!" He gasped as Cedric reached both arms behind Harry to seize the round rim of the tub, backing Harry into the wall of it.

"Shh" Cedric's wet lips were not far from Harry's now, their eyes locked as the gap between them closed slowly. "you can figure out the clue later…"

His dripping torso slid against Harry's, Cedric's firm hand left the tub's edge to brush back a drenched tendril of dark hair. Paralyzed with shock as he felt the other boy's legs stagger between his, lower halves colliding, Harry's mouth fell agape with a guttural moan. Cedric took advantage of this and pressed Harry's mouth to his, kissing the other boy passionately as hands travelled across slick skin.

A spark hotter than the bath water ignited in Harry and blazed like a flame down a fuze to his hardening groin, which was rubbing hungrily across the older seeker's own erect flesh. Blonde hair cascaded across Cedric's forehead as he trailed his kisses down Harry's neck, the soft mane tickling his nose. Grasping onto it, Harry found the buttery color lovely and rousing, realizing he had always liked that color on folks more than any other.

Trying to grab the tub's edge to regain pelvic floor, Harry's eyes rolled up to the celling in elation as the other boy's mouth and hands devoured his flesh… when suddenly he heard someone giggle. Twisting around in fear, Harry spotted a bespectacled ghost of a girl peering lewdly from a spigot; Moaning myrtle.

"Hallllo Harry" she cooed.

Harry dunked himself further under the water's surface in modesty, alerting his lustful companion;

"What's wrong Potter?" a voice, familiar, but not Cedric's, asked. Harry turned in the heated grasp he was locked in to look into the questioning grey eyes of not Cedric but… Malfoy.

" What?" Draco breathed, "Slytherin's got your tongue?"

"OOOH" Harry woke violently; heart racing and gasping for air, his wide green eyes swiveled around the morning-lit boy's dorm rooms.

As he tried to piece together what had happened, his hands groped at his clothes as he realized he was dressed and relatively dry despite the night sweats he just suffered. Harry's mid-night thoughts had twisted into the dream and carried him well into the morning, which was not as private as the still of night; four curious and worried faces peered over Harry's sheet-strewn four poster bed.

"Blimey" Seamus murmured beside Dean, looking throughly tousled from sleep, "You ok 'arry?"

"w-what…?"

"Was it one of those dreams Harry?" Ron leaned in to look Harry right in the eye as if the answers lied there, attempting to stay cryptic as to not alert the others to the fact that Harry had been mentally connected to Voldemort lately and seeing what he saw through dreams. "Who did you see?"

Nelville cast him a wondering look but didn't dwell on it as Harry choked;

"NO-noone! it… it wasn't…"

"Oh good" Ron sighed, appeased.

"Did you eat something weird before bed?" Dean offered helplessly, starting to lose interest and wandering back to his own side of the room.

"I reckon we should stop pressin' him" Seamus laughed, pulling his robes over his cockeyed hair, "I see now it wasn't that bad o' dream."

Harry stared, still disoriented, and tried to decipher Seamus' jest.

"Geez Harry," Ron's face screwed up in a wince, "seriously take care of that and come down for breakfast ok?"

The room cleared and fell back into silence as the tidied boys retreated to the common room, leaving Harry in a confused fell back onto his wrought sheets with a sigh, but felt a throbbing ache in his pajamas.

Looking down, Harry saw rock hard proof that he didn't have a clue what his own sexual preferences were anymore.

* * *

><p>High Shipper Mschmnged here,<p>

So i'm sorry to the Drarry fans out there who might not be happy to see Harry paired with someone else when this fiction is supposed to be focused on the relationship between him and Draco, but i had to ease Harry into the possibility of undefined sexuality.

Cedric was a perfect candidate as their chemistry was always a little strange, and being a handsome well-liked guy made it easier for Harry to accept romantically vs Malfoy who he is only just now learning may have a soft side, but has yet to witness it.

Draco must redeem himself in some way to Harry to become attractive in more ways than just physically; Harry is the type of person who needs more than a hot bod to rock his boat ;P He's an emotional guy ya know.

i PROMISE, Drarry fans, their time is coming, but again, i am creating a slow build with development. be patient with me please, i want this as bad as you :)

i look forward to hearing your thoughts!


	3. The Anti-Crush

Mumbling muggle curses at the orange juice dribbling down his front, Harry Potter's mind, otherwise occupied, had forgotten how to hold a steady lip while drinking. Glaring at the stain through his smudged round glasses, Harry thought;

'Well that completes my just-escaped-from-Azkaban look.'

The Gryfindor's appearance was more neglected than usual; his hereditarily untamed black hair seemed to have more whirls and cowlicks than most mornings, a fine crust of drool went unnoticed on his cheek, and he was pretty sure he put his boxers on backwards. Franticly racing about the morning haunted by the dream he had only recently woken from, Harry didn't have time for school ties, matching socks or table manners.

The Great Hall was obnoxiously abuzz with students awake with the high of youth only a person lucky enough to study magic could have at this time of morning. Ron was so preoccupied exclaiming; "Six more weeks till exams, this is how I die!" over and over with Dean and Seamus he wasn't tuned in with Harry's poor mood.

Hermione already had her nose so deeply stuck between a books spine Harry wouldn't have doubted she fell asleep reading it and woke up continuing on to the next sentence like it was the most normal thing in the world. Abusing his oozing eggs, Harry sighed heavy with the burden of knowing he was going to have to trudge through this by himself… like always (at least according to him).

The remnants of Cedrics touches tormented Harry, how real the tips of his fingers felt as they grazed attentive skin… he wasn't sure if he should feel guilty for having such sordid dreams about his deceased classmate, but its not like he asked for it to happen.

'At least,' he thought, 'it wasn't all Cedric…'

Harry choked dryly on his toast as his muse surprised himself; he had almost forgotten those heated grey eyes didn't only belong to Diggory, but the more-mysterious-than-ever Slytherin whom was supposed to be his in-school nemesis.

How could he ever think of Malfoy like that! He had always been the most loathsome person he had ever met, throughly tainted and evil like his father. Lucius Malfoy was so conniving and deceitful he didn't understand how anyone could entrust such a man with the power of politics… though as Harry pondered on he realized that was exactly what makes a true politician, thus why Umbridge and Fudge had such success themselves. Still Lucius was horrid, he couldn't imagine what having a man like that for a father would be like.

Harry's brow scrunched as he fell deeper into the idea, never had he tried to imagine what Draco's childhood was like, he never saw past the slimy surface of the bigotry, or, he supposed, tried to. Lucius seemed like a father that wouldn't be appeased easily, and being surrounded since birth by that hatred with no one else to teach you better… Harry had grown up around the Dursley's distain and intolerance but somehow it's different when they are not your parents, knowing at least they are not your true family, damn the blood.

Draco was raised with all the finer things, absolutely anything he could want, no starved nights or spider bites from living in a cupboard. Knowing strife made Harry stronger in that he had to fight to live, he had to depend on himself. Draco had to depend on a man who's morals were so twisted they would be impossible to doubt, he was born as one of the few proud purebreds left and has had a very tall pedestal to climb since.

What would Lucius do if he knew his one and only son had become infatuated with the same boy trying to overthrow their Dark Lord! Harry was sure the man would have no qualms with using a few illegal curses against his own son as long as they left him intact enough to learn his lesson and carry on with the family's pristine bloodline. A disturbing shiver ran up Harry's spine at the thought, as he couldn't help but pity the blonde boy for the first time in his life.

Glancing across the hall, he could see the Inquisitorial squad laughing boisterously; most likely retelling a horrifying tale about how they abused their powers on some innocent first year. Pansy Parkinson flipped her hair pompously as she whispered to the story teller himself; Draco Malfoy.

Harry tried to look inconspicuous as he stared at the beguiling young man, seeing him in a new light; his porcelain skin hadn't seen a hard day in its life- barely so much as a blemish- yet Harry smirked, for he was sure he could see the tiniest scar from where Hermione had punched him in their third year. Having shed his bulky school robes, it was clear Draco was the perfect build for a seeker; his slender frame stood barely taller than Potter himself, slight compact muscles Harry had never noticed before showed through the thin school shirt when strained. Blaise must have said something humorous because Draco's mouth smirked in this tiny signature fashion that almost created a dimple, above which his grey eyes squinted back in a familiar way… and looked right at him.

Almost knocking a plate of hot bacon grease onto himself, Harry hastily turned away, chest heaving from a racing heart as if he had only narrowly dodged a Hungarian Horntail. What was wrong with him? He mustn't forget who Draco is, who he thinks he is. Only thinks, doesn't know… throughly confused, Harry tried to reel back to a more pressing matter- why was he fancying other boys at all? He could have sworn he liked girls, why else would he have obsessed over Cho? She may have been the only one, but still, he had really wanted to kiss her once, before she became such a mess. Harry was pretty sure when he was really quite young there had been a girl that lived a few blocks over that made his heart pitter-patter in the sweet childish way kids get.

Harry never really had much time to think about his sexual preferences before, he had always been preoccupied with his spell work, the Dursley's chores, and Hagrid's affinity for dangerous 'babies'. Though now, with Defense Against the Dark Arts being so easy, the ban from quidditch and Voldemort not turning up at the school to kill him yet he had a lot more time to ponder. That and Harry wasn't quite ready to worry about exams in six weeks time yet.

Suddenly Potter remembered that his time was now also preoccupied by Occlumency lessons with Snape and felt the dread well up in him. He hadn't practiced clearing his mind before bed in some time and last night was the worst example of them all, how was he going to keep the slimy-haired professor out of his head if Harry couldn't get out of it himself?

Sure he wouln't be able to meditate into a clear mind, but not wanting to go the day without trying, Harry's face contracted in consentration as he repeatedly thought; 'clear… clear… no more thoughts…'

"Harry?" Hermione asked, looking over the tattered spine of her book, concerned. "Is everything alright? What's wrong?"

"Nothing! Nothing…" Harry brushed her off, resigning to try again later, maybe in his duller classes.

Then, without so much as a nod to his mates, Harry tore out of the Great Hall, wanting to find some peace and quiet before his long, and most likely, doomed day. Imagining the horrified screwed up face Snape would contort at the discovery of Harry's recent memories, Potter tripped a tad over a usually well-known cracked flagstone. Steadying himself on an offended painting, Harry scolded himself once more for not clearing his mind and sulked off to face his glum day.

* * *

><p>A day of classes complete, Harry still hadn't managed to clear his mind of emotion and lingering thoughts about blonde, grey-eyed boys. Harry was supposed to be storing important information for his O.W.L.s, like Substantive charms and Goblin war histories, in his mind, but it was occupied by the slide of Cedric's sinewy chest (or was it Draco's?) against his own. Every time Harry tried to wipe his mind blank, he instead felt the intense jet of heat rocket down his person straight to his groin as memories of the dream flooded back.<p>

After a particularity vivid thought; below the bath's surface, where lower halves pressed against each other in elation, Harry had to attempt to be interested in locomotive charms as if his life depended on it before his body betrayed his day-dreams. Harry even had to rush off to dinner with his school satchel uncomfortably knocking about his front, attempting to hide himself in case his thoughts got away from him in the halls.

A 'Chubby Cannon', affectionately nick-named by immature quidditch enthusiasts, was a common problem amongst the student body, being that they were all budding teenagers. Luckily boys had as many ways to hide a whomping woodie as girls had to hide their feminine products. The Weasley twin's products were the latest and greatest to use; Nosebleed Nougats would make the blood rush away from your hard-on and back to your head, hanging a Vanishing Hat on the bulge made it completely unnoticeable, or simply setting of a Weasley's Wildfire Whiz-bang firework in the hallway was a great distraction. Harry had none of these options at his disposal but luckily never needed any, though narrowly.

Quickly Harry scarfed down a hot meal from the glorious aray of food in the Great Hall, eager to get horrid Occlumency class done and over with. With a final wipe of a napkin, Harry deemed himself as ready as he could be and set off for Snape's office, yet no sooner had Potter gotten into the entrance hall when a pretty Ravenclaw seeker streaking towards him caught his eye.

"Oi, 'arry!" she called out nervously, arms laden with books. Harry ushered her out of the center of the hall to converse in front of the dismal hourglass display where the Gryfindor's low house points were glaringly apparent.

"Hi, Cho," Harry scanned the hall for Inquisitorial Squad members as he spoke, hushed, "are you doing ok? Umbridge hasn't been poking about has she?"

"No, no, i just wanted to say… oh Harry i'm so sorry about my friend… i didn't know she would talk about the D.A. like that… she's honestly a great person…"

"Well your 'friend' ratted us all out as well as you," Harry snapped, impatient, "you ought to get a better judge of character. Your choices on who you spent your time with effected us all."

"I spent my time with you don't i?" Her almond eyes began to squint and flutter franticly, clearly holding back the water works she was becoming quite famous for. "I spent my time with Cedric didn't i? Are you saying Cedric wasn't a great guy? "

"No!" Taken aback by the name he wasn't ready for, Harry lashed out; "What, are you going to start crying again?"

"I'm not going to cry!" She hissed, fighting pointlessly against the tears already clouding her eyes, "Answer my question!"

"I already did! Cedric was great, blah blah blah, i don't want to talk about him right now, i've got enough to cope with as is!"

"Fine." Cho whipped her hair back as if it was a punctuation, and Harry noticed it was dull and stringy. In fact, Cho suddenly wan't very attractive to Harry at all; her beady vexed eyes reminded him of Umbridge's, her hunched posture was horribly submissive, and her flat personality just didn't challenge Harry. He wanted more, he wanted someone who wouldn't necessarily argue, but debate with him, force him to look at things in a new light, redefine or solidify ideals and goals bigger than just petty coffee dates. Feeling his crush for Cho shatter in a heartbeat, he felt no misgivings in his choices as she stormed off yelling;

"Go and cope then!"

With no shred of loss or shame, just a burning resentment for dramatics and tattle-tale rats, Harry set off to the dungeons for Occluemncy at last. Giving up every last bit of hope that he would come to a calm with his churning sea of emotions, Harry let his mind get creative with bitting comebacks he wished he had told Cho.

* * *

><p>High Shipper Mschmnged decrees, we are getting there! So far these events have taken place in only a matter of two days, and this long arduous day isn't over for Harry yet! He still has an Occlumency lesson, an interesting run in with Malfoy himself, an eye opening life lesson from someone unexpected, and a nights sleep ahead- perhaps wrought with more dreams?<p>

Thank you all so much for your comments, interest and time! i hope you all continue on this journey with me!


	4. The Remedial Potions

"So… have you been practicing?" Snape had holier-than-thou squint in his eyes, piercing through the long oily hair that grazed his shoulders, black-clad as usual. Wrapping his long robes around himself as he crossed his arms disapprovingly, Snape stood beside the glimmering Pensieve that belonged to the renegade Dumbledore, whom had insisted upon these classes for Harry. Their usefulness was still lost on Harry, as he felt he had been becoming weaker since starting, rousing suspicions in him that Snape's intentions were not what Dumbledore proclaimed.

Harry nodded dishonestly at his most hated professor and simply took stance as Snape sneered; "Let's see about that. Wand at the ready."

With nothing but a battered desk separating them, Harry still felt uncomfortably close to the teacher, the dungeon classroom looked as though the walls were huddled closer together, the ceiling a tad lower. His face grew hot as lingering hatred for Cho, anxiety from lack of practice and fear for the dreams Snape would soon discover chattered in his head, filling it rather than emptying it.

What would Snape be more upset about? Harry failing at mastering Occlumency? Harry's hands molesting the potion master's prize student under steamy bath water? Harry did not want his own father's school nemesis to have this leverage on him, Snape never seemed to have boundaries about taunting his own students in class, Harry being his favorite to call out.

"Shall i count down then?" Snape drawled, wand pointed straight at Potter's vulnerable forehead. "One… two…thee, Legilimens!"

Snape's weathered face swam in Harry's vision, colors blurred like water paints and began to form another scene; in the middle of Privet Drive's playground, a chipmunk-cheeked girl smiled at Harry's five year old self, causing him to blush…

There was an eleven year old Malfoy offering Harry his hand in friendship before the fateful hat sorting. Harry paused, all other students falling silent upon sensing the tension in the air. He considered for a second the life he would have as this boy's friend, what if denying this was the wrong choice? Harry's hand twitched and then…

On the bridge along the one of the school's many valleys, Cedric was smiling that enigma fillled smirk at Harry as he said "Take a bath… mull things over… trust me." His large hands clasped Harry's shoulder tightly, he could feel the warmth of it seep through the sleeve of his shirt…

Then Harry wasn't wearing anything at all, dappled in bubbles, still feeling the weight of Cedric's hand on his shoulder, sliding down his arm, teasing across his abdomen…

'No! No, stop watching, don't look!' The voice in Harry's head protested, remembering he wasn't the only one getting an eyeful of the wet sculpted flesh before him. The taunting hand of the Hufflepuff dipped below the water's surface, unseen under the perfumed layer of foam, grasping onto Harry's attentive cock. A guttural growl escaped Harry, head whipping back in elation as he bucked into the stroking palm. Feeling the other boy's damp face nuzzle into his neck, Harry looked down only to find himself staring back into a wolfish stare from Draco Malfoy. The Slytherin's soaked pale hair plastered to the side of his face, candlelight flickered off the water's surface and highlighted the fetching boy's cheekbones.

"Whats the matter, Potter?" He whispered at Harry for the second time in his life, "Slytherin's got your tongue?" Mesmerized by the words forming from Draco's playful smirk, Harry just stared at the boy's lips as they advanced towards his…

"POTTER!"

Harry hissed in pain as his knee smacked into a nearby desk, Snape had lifted the spell but it left Harry disoriented. His head throbbed as the dungeon swirled back into view, the man towered over him now, face contorting into many emotions, Harry saw fear, anger, disgust and amusement flicker in and out of Snape's wide eyes.

"Explain" Snape growled, "Why your dreams have changed from the Department of Mysteries to… to…"

"S-sir i…" It was Harry's worst nightmare, cowering in Snape's shadow; he was having a hard enough time trying to explain his dreams to himself, let alone his most disliked teacher.

"You realize the Dark Lord is connected to your mind? Can you not grasp the importance of clearing your thoughts and not succumbing weakly to your sick desires of flesh? He sees what you see Potter, he will use—!"

"Professor? Sir we've found Montague! He was— oh!"

Having stopped fast in his tracks, Draco Malfoy stared owlishly at Harry Potter, rouge strands of golden hair falling across his brow. Time paused awkwardly for a gratuitous stretch, the scene obviously quite foreign to intruders. Snape was quick to holster his wand but Harry and Draco stayed in a locked gaze like chess masters waiting for their opponent to make a move.

Draco looked pressed and well-put-together, his Inquisitorial Squad badge gleamed on his heaving chest. Flushed cheeks and parted lips from heavy breathing were a dead give away that Malfoy had been dashing to the dungeons on a mission. Harry couldn't look away as Draco's eyes fluttered as if trying to be sure he was truly seeing Harry before him. Suddenly self-aware, Harry had the strong urge to steal a glimpse of himself in something reflective to check his own appearance.

"Yes Malfoy?" Snape drew attention back onto himself, "Your interrupting Potter's Remedial Potions."

Harry rounded on Snape, glaring daggers, 'remedial potions?' his eyes screamed at the professor, 'That is the worse thing possible to tell Malfoy! He'll tease me with that one, he'll think I'm stupid!' Suddenly Harry caught a glimpse of himself in the reflection of the Pensieve; hair crazied, glasses crooked and cheeks a fiery color not dissimilar to a Weasley's coif.

'Fan-fucking-tastic,' he thought, 'If Malfoy still has his heart set on me after today i'll eat Bubotuber pus.' Not ready to dwell on why that was his first concern in this situation, Harry turned back around to face Malfoy, attempting to inconspicuously straighten himself out.

"I'm sorry Sir, i wasn't aware there was such a class." The blonde was positively glowing, looking happier than the boy's old house elf receiving a sock. This infuriated Harry, if Draco was so in love with him as he admitted in the Slytherin common room, why was he still acting like a insufferable prick? Harry questioned for a brief moment if he was deluded and just imagined the whole confession; being the-boy-who-lived had been stretching him thin, who's to say the Unforgivable Curse Voldemort cast on him didn't scramble his eggs a little?

"Yes well, when theres a need for it, i provide, can't say i'm not charitable." Snape joined in on the 'subtle' ribbing, "Now can i help you Malfoy?"

"Professor Umbridge needs your help on the fourth floor, Montague is wedged pretty deep in one of the toilets. Not sure how it happened really, he's a bit loopy…"

"Yes yes, we will have to postpone our lessons till tomorrow, Potter." Snape hurried from his office, leaving Draco and Malfoy alone for a brief moment that felt like eons. Harry couldn't recall the last time they were in a room alone together, Malfoy had always been flanked by cronies, but Harry knew there was no way it had been since Madam Malkins. Draco had grown so much since then, he was much taller than when that witch messured him for robes, pale face sculpted sharply without the puppy fat they all had in youth. His thin smirk had stayed the same, still dripping with sass as he mouthed at Harry; 'Remedial Potions?'

Furious that Malfoy now thinks he's taking Potions-for-dipshits, Harry didn't stop to think as he silently mouthed back his retort; 'Suck my dick, Malfoy.'

Malfoy looked as if he had been hit with a Petrificus Totalus spell; his mouth gaped, grey eyes open wide in shock and his body became ridged. This effect did not last long, Draco quickly regained his composure and stormed out of the classroom after Snape, but not before he hissed; "In your dreams, Potter!"

Alone and amused, Harry enjoyed Malfoy's reaction a little too much. He was pleased he could get such a rise out of his nemesis, it was usually much harder to ruffle his feathers… and he could have sworn he saw Malfoy's face splotch with pink just before the door slammed shut. Harry's mind raced with ideas now that he had gained a newfound secret weapon to taunt Draco with, he might not be able to share his triumphs with Ron but if they would be anything like what just transpired, Harry would be happy all the same. He may have had hesitations before about cluing Malfoy into what he now knows but the reaction was priceless, Harry was sure he could get Draco to make that face again if he could think of more insinuating comebacks.

Wanting as much distance between him and Snape as to avoid confrontation about what he unwillingly showed in Occlumency, Harry pocketed his wand and rushed to the door, yet a glimmer caught his eye. Dumbledore's Pensieve churned calmly in its basin, flickering out lights suggestively as if it held secrets it couldn't wait to share. Then it hit Harry; Snape had been using it to empty his mind before their lessons in case Harry managed to turn the spell back on him like he had weeks ago. Snape was not pleased when Harry successfully penetrated his mind and saw the sad school years of the odd boy that was now his grown teacher.

Curiosity ebbed inside of him, it seemed only fair to take a peek, Snape had forcibly watched memories from Harry he didn't want him to see, now it was his turn; eye for an eye, memory for a memory. Maybe there were pieces from his troubled childhood again, or maybe even moments from meeting with The Order of the Phoenix, answers about the Department of Mysteries even; Snape knew he had been dreaming about those halls…

If Harry's heart had been beating hard enough before, now it was threatening to burst out of his chest. it was too much to take, Harry assured himself it would take quite a while to budge the burly Slytherin Quidditch captain from the toilets all the way up on the fouth floor, and sounded as if no one was close by in the dungeons, the halls eerily silent. Harry tugged his wand back out from his robes, giving the swirling sliver goop a light poke that sent it whisking about; the surface bean to resemble a room Harry was not familiar with, raising his curiosity to a dangerous level. Unable to take the nervous heat tossing about in his stomach any longer, Harry plunged into the Pensieve, glasses first.

* * *

><p>High Shipper Mschmnged;<p>

the first memory Harry sees will not be of Snapes' school days, they'll be tom something a little more current...


	5. The Cult

One thing Harry was sure of, he was at least still in Hogwarts. A draft chilled the air, even colder than the one he had left, so he deduced that he must still be deep in the bowels of the school's dungeons. The room was mostly bare, it wasn't clear if the room even had a purpose outside of homing a few dusty arm chairs. Three large ragged portraits hung half-hazard on the walls, or at least Harry assumed they had been portraits for their frames had been abandoned. Potter almost thought he was alone until he remembered this was supposed to be a memory of Snape's… where was he though? The room was ominously dark, lit by a lone bracket aflame on the wall, casting many shadows in the corners. Harry squinted at a moth-eaten drape, he could have sworn it moved a little…

"Malfoy."

Harry jumped and screamed embarrassingly loud when Snape spoke directly behind him, stepping out from the dark to greet the approaching Slytherin student. Sometimes Harry thought Snape was the most terrifying person he'd ever meet, despite how ridiculous saying a teacher is more frightening than a deranged man calling himself The Dark Lord.

"Professor, i'm sorry i needed to see you, i need to talk…" Draco was looking frazzled, wringing his hands and constantly looking over his shoulder. It became clear it was the dead of night because Draco wore a casual thin grey t-shirt and cotton pajama bottoms; the most simply dressed Harry had ever seen him… it somehow made Draco look more human to him.

"You may call me Severus, Draco, this is obviously something personal. Now, what has you like this?"

Harry blinked. Snape almost sounded soft there, kindness peeking through the black the professor always wrapped himself in. He watched in awe as Snape placed a comforting hand on Draco's quivering shoulder. The nervous boy took in a sharp deep breath and spilled out his thoughts without pause;

"I'm having doubts about the closeness of my family with the Dark Lord's agenda. I'm scared something bad is going to happen, what if my father screws up the plan? What will he-who-shall-not-be-named do? What will he do to my mother? What will he do to me? Don't get me wrong, i do agree mudbloods and muggles are inferior, stuff like that, but what we do to them… will i have to do those things if the plan succeeds? I don't think i can really… but the Dark Lord won't like that either, so no matter which way the plan goes i'm… i'm… i'm not strong enough for this, please, Seveus I'm scared that i'll…"

"You are strong enough Draco, you're stronger than you think. I'm afraid things are too far along now, if your father choses to follow the Dark Lord's plan that is his choice. You must put faith in your father, Draco."

"No, you're just saying that!" Draco retorted, eyes swimming, "You don't have faith in my father! You know something is wrong here! I can feel it Severus, i can feel that you're uncertain of all this too! If my father fails it's going to fall on me!"

"Get a hold of yourself, Draco!" Snape grasped the shaking boy's shoulders, trying to hold him steady; "We don't know that, you're just a boy, the Dark Lord won't…"

"SINCE WHEN DOES THE DARK LORD CARE?"

Snape sighed, a look in his eyes betrayed that he was out of ideas. "Draco…"

"I… I just want things to go back to normal. If the Dark Lord had never been alive my family wouldn't have to fight to stay respected! If my father didn't have to do all these insane things just to keep this man happy, maybe he would be around more for his REAL family!"

Harry walked up close to look into Draco's chaotic grey eyes, they had begun to spill over involentarily now. He recognized the pain, the pain of losing your family, but this was different, Harry had lost his parents against their will, Draco's father was choosing to rip his family apart by putting his loyalties into destructive beliefs and a dangerous cult. There was something worse in this, and it made Harry's heart break for Draco. He instinctively reached out for his peer, but his hand passed right through him, reminding Harry this was just a memory, one he was never intended to see.

"Draco," Snape pulled the boy back to his supportive embrace, which Malfoy sagged into; defeated. "Draco, once your father succeeds, yes boy, succeeds, your Dark Lord will reward him and all will go back to normal. Your father won't have to prove himself anymore and he can turn his attentions back to you and your mother, i'll even talk to him about that."

Snape's words were so comforting Harry almost didn't catch that this was finally a confession on where Snape's loyalties lie. 'I knew it!' Harry thought, 'I have to tell Dumbledore he was wrong!' Yet he began to feel conflicted, surprised Dumbledore was wrong about something… often Harry forgot this greatest wizard of all time was human too. Suddenly Draco resurfaced from Snape's grasp, pulling away to sink into one of the neglected armchairs.

"I want him to like me." Draco choked out, eyes cast down shamefully.

"Your father?" Snape said surprised.

"…No… um," Draco sounded stumped, unsure how to put together his next confession.

"Draco, if we are not talking about your father anymore what are we talking about? Are you infatuated with someone? Are you telling me you have feelings for another boy?"

Now Harry was the one who was surprised, Snape didn't seem nonplussed this time, he asked so casually. Draco looked just as shocked, knuckles turning white as he clasped the dusty armchair for support.

"Wha… Professor… did you…?"

"There had been a few clues along the years i've watched you grow into the young man you are now, and you're not very good with secrets Draco, maybe you should stop confiding in your family's house elves."

"Dobby?" Harry exclaimed aloud, quickly clasping his hands to his mouth in attempt to shush himself. Feeling idiotic, Harry remembered once again no one could hear him. 'What does he mean about Dobby? If Draco told him about this why did he never tell me…"

Then he remembered the night he met the amorous house elf, dressed in nothing but a ragged pillow case… "So long Dobby wanted to meet you, sir… Dobby has heard of your greatness, sir…" Where could Dobby have heard of Harry's 'greatness'? He was the Malfoy's house elf, never allowed to leave the masion he was enslaved to clean, with no one else but Lucius, whom hated Harry deeply, Narcissa, whom barely knows Harry but probably hates him too on principal, and Draco… had Draco been talking about Harry fondly to Dobby ever since their first year? Back when Harry rebuffed him friendship?

"M-my house elf… told you?" Draco looked completely aghast, his face now turning as white as his knuckles.

"I just overheard him with that other elf as they cleaned by chamber, i was having a poor time sleeping. He didn't say much, just was telling the other elf to stop obsessing over this boy she used to serve, the same way his old master used to obsess over one of his peers. I never heard who, if thats what you're worried about, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, Draco."

Relief washed over the pale Slytherin, he sunk back into the armchair, sending a cloud of dust up swirling around him. Harry wished he could feel the same solace, but Snape now knew Harry was thinking about Draco in very revealing ways. At least only Harry would have to endure Snape's wrath, he hadn't seen Harry's memory of witnessing Draco's confession to Pansy Parkinson, Draco didn't need to feel any more stress than what he was already dealing with, Harry was sure he would crack if he lost the support of the man who was there for him more than his own father. Harry felt the strong urge to protect Draco, something he had never even remotely worried about before.

"Draco, i think you should get some sleep. I'll send a house elf to your chambers with a hot cup of cocoa, come now boy…" The professor reached down and attempted to pull Malfoy from the chair, but the distraught student caught his arm and pulled him close instead.

"The weapon my father has to get… is he-who-shall-not-be-named going to use it to kill Harry?"

Snape was clearly thrown off, kneeling down beside the armrest to look into the boy's eyes directly. "Well, yes that has always been the Dark Lord's plan to kill Har— Draco… Why did you call him Harry?" Snape began to rise, eyes flaring with realization, "Draco. Why. Do. You. Care," Now rage took over the man, "ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS TO POTTER?"

Snape ripped the boy from the chair, clutching the grey T Draco wore so tightly he practically lifted him so his toes only grazed the floor. Draco held onto the fists at his chest desperatly, looking pleadingly into his professor's eyes.

"WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? AT A TIME LIKE THIS?"

"I know, i know! I'm so sorry, honestly i didn't mean to—!"

"IF YOUR FATHER FINDS OUT! IF VOLDEMORT—!"

Draco cringed at the name, now sobbing again. Snape Stopped abruptly at the sight, slowly lowering the boy back down, but not losing his grip. It seemed to be the only thing holding Draco up as he cowered limply.

"Draco." Snape spoke in almost a whisper, "You must stop this nonsense. Squash these… feelings. It's preposterous and you're only going to get yourself killed, or worse."

"I'm— i'm trying…" Draco whimpered, "I… I c-can't."

The vision of Snape now protectively clutching Draco's head to his chest began to melt, the flame of the lone bracket swirling around leaving light trails through the bleeding shadows. Harry wasn't ready to leave, but the Pensieve had a new memory it wanted to share.

* * *

><p>High Shipper Mschfmnged decrees Snape should watch his blood pressure with all this stress he's under. Things never go well for him, we'll see that is true in the next memory as well...<p> 


	6. The Love Letter

Harry Potter welcomed the warm sticky air of Hogwarts' grounds nearing summer, he had almost begun to worry he'd never get the chill of the dungeons out of his bones. Harry had been immersed in Snape's memory of his school days for twenty minutes or so already, happily following the younger versions of his father, Sirius, Lupin and Wormtail out of their O.W.L. exams. Yet he made sure to keep close to Snape as well, Harry feared the memory would abruptly end if he wandered too far from the his youthful potions master.

Snape was meandering close by, pouring over exam questions from behind his curtain of long oily hair. He absent-mindedly plopped down behind some shrubs a short distance from the young marauders; whom had taken rest near a large tree Harry recognized as the one he, Hermione and Ron loved to frequent. He delighted in sharing the same pastimes as his father, watching Wormtail 'ooh' and 'ahh' as James repeatedly captured a snitch he had stolen from the Quidditch supplies somehow. Lupin reminded Harry of Hermione as he cracked open a book and propped himself up comfortably against the tree, and Sirius channeled Ron as he lazied next to his friend and people-watched.

Listening attentively to their discourse as if watching his favorite tv programs, Harry didn't even notice young Snape had uprooted from the shrubbery and was rapidly approaching the clique.

As if smelling prey, Sirius turned and sneered; "Excellent… it's Snivellus."

No longer clutching the O.W.L. papers but instead a mysterious torn piece of parchment, Snape approached, looking rather nervous and flushed. Sirius and James stood defensively as the other two stayed where they were, Lupin not caring for confrontation at all.

"What do you want Snivellus?" James grinned devilishly.

Snape didn't even look at Harry's father, eyes locked on Black, "Can i talk to you?"

"You can say whatever you want right here, Snivelly!" James edged a little closer, standing much taller than the cowering Slytherin student. He was quite intimidating, years of Quidditch had done his physique well; sinew and muscle made themselves apparent under his school shirt as Potter crossed his arms appraisingly.

"A-alone please, Black…"

Snape reached out to grab Sirius's shoulder but before he could make contact, James whipped out his wand and yelled; "Impedimenta!" sending Snape hard down to the ground as if he had been bound with invisible ropes. His school things went flying, scattering at the feet of the triumphant pair of Gryfindors.

"Sorry Snivelly, but i don't want you getting grease on my friend here!" Potter cackled, kneeling beside the wriggling body he just entrapped.

James took the torn-up parchment Snape had been clutching, earning a few nasty curse words from his victim. This just encouraged the boy's tormentor, clueing him in that he had found something Snape didn't want him to see.

"What do we have here?" He drawled, flattening the creases, "Ahem…'Dear Severus, I've been watching you for a while now, you're quite interesting…' Oh, are you interesting to someone Snivels? Is this a love letter?"

Snape struggled violently against his jinx's bounds, beginning to turn a nasty shade of purple. The boisterous scene was now capturing the attention of many other students whom had been enjoying the grounds; some excited, some nervous.

"Let's keep reading, yes? 'You're so amazing at your classes, i would love private tutoring from you. I'm sure i would learn many things and maybe i could teach you a few new things as well…' Oh ho ho, steamy! You've got a wild one here, Snivellus! 'It might be taboo, but the idea of being with you, kissing you, makes me not care what people would say. Write back soon, could be yours; Lover-boy'…what?"

James' face lit up like a christmas tree, for he had just hit the jackpot. Snape's face fell in defeat, he knew he would never ever live this down.

"Lover boy!? Oh Snivellus! You have a GUY that wants to suck your greasy face!"

Sirius snickered, standing back and letting Potter reign as ringleader as he stalked about, showing off the love letter to anyone who would look.

"HA! Did you respond Snivy? Did you write him a love letter back? Are you going to let this guy suck the grease out of your—"

"Leave him ALONE!"

Harry and the others turned to see a girl storming angrily towards them, red hair flowing behind her like a wildfire.

"Evans, how's it going?" James sauntered over to her slyly, obviously smitten.

"Why can't you just leave Severus alone? What's he done to you?" She crossed her arms menacingly, glaring up into the face of her future husband with her familiar green eyes.

"Well, he exists…" He chortled, smiling wickedly at his audience as they laughed with him. Harry's father had the schools loyalty and admiration, James earned it through expertise in Quidditch, smart remarks and dangerously good looks. Even though Harry inherited all this, most of his claim to fame followed him since infancy, and James had an abundance of confidence that didn't carry over in genes.

As Lily continued to tell James off, Harry became distracted by a whispered conversation beside him, a conversation only meant for two. Harry realized he seemed to be getting caught in a lot of these situations lately.

"S-sirius, please unbind me, i just want to talk about the let—"

"Shut up Snivellus, i thought i warned you." Sirius wouldn't look at Snape, not even long enough to notice that he was slowly regaining some of his movement back.

"But i just didn't understand why—"

"What did i just say? Stop talking to me right now or i will bash your face in."

Suddenly there was a flash of blinding light, James let out a yelp; Snape had managed to wriggle over to where his wand had fallen and sent a curse slicing across James's face. A second spell ripped across the gap and hit Snape's legs, lifting him effortlessly into the air as if hoisted by a hook. His robes fell and reveled parts of the Slytherin Harry wasn't prepared to see, causing him to blush out of empathy. Harry began to feel sick to his stomach, everything was happening so fast and so horribly. Snape dangled hopelessly as the crowd roared with laughter, James smirking as his wand kept him suspended.

"Let him down!" Lily yelled, face twitching slightly as if holding back an involuntary smile.

James complied and broke the spell's connection; Snape collided with the ground, yet before he could get his barings, Sirius cast "Locomotor Mortis!" knocking the victimized student backwards like a rigid board.

"Stop it! Stop it now!" Lily was now waving her own wand threateningly, yet neither of the marauders looked concerned.

"I don't need help from filthy little mudbloods!" Snape's mouth clearly had not bound by the spell. Everyone fell silent, staring at the abused boy, appalled at his retort to the one person standing up for him. The vultures, enticed by the drama, looked to Lily for her response.

"Well," she said flatly, "I won't help anymore then… Snivellus."

"Apologize to Evans!" James yelled, grabbing Snape by the front of his robes, lifting him stiffly off the ground by a few inches.

"I don't want you to force him to say sorry, you're as terrible as he is, Potter! You make me SICK!" Lily turned on her heels and tore off towards the castle, other students trailing after her, seeing how the situation had turned awkward.

James dropped Snape's body to the ground, still cursed firm as a board, and ran after Lily, "Evans! EVANS WAIT!"

Wormtail trotted alongside the friend he admired closely, attempting to keep up with James's athletic stride. Slowly Lupin shut the book he had stayed buried in through the entire ordeal, and stood, brushing pieces of grass from his well-worn school robes. Leisurely, he strode to the castle at his own pace, calling back to Sirius;

"Take that curse off Snape already will you?"

Yet as Lupin disappeared out of view, Sirius smirked in a mischievous way that gave Harry the distinct feeling taking the curse off Snape was not his plan. Sure enough, the handsome young man sauntered back to the ridged body of Snape and sat down beside him, criss-crossing his legs in a deceivingly innocent way.

"Oh Snivellus… what am i to do with you?"

"Let me go!" Snape suggested angrily.

"Well i can see i need to work on my jinxes, you're not supposed to be able to talk…" Sirius chuckled to himself, clearly the only one to find this amusing. He ruffled his shaggy mane of hair and laid down in the grass beside Snape, gazing out into the vast blue skies above Hogwarts. There was a moment of silence and they took in the rusting of leaves in the breeze, it was almost peaceful until Harry remembered Snape was there against his will.

"Why did you give me that letter?" Snape mumbled, sound of defeat thick in his voice.

"Dear sweet Snivals," Sirius laughed, "I warned you not to try and talk to me in person! You were just supposed to write back! Have you no sense for romance?"

"I just don't understand…"

"You were suppose to write back, i was going to see what i could get you to say, i'm quite disappointed you didn't follow my instructions." Turning on his side to look at his immoible victim, Sirius propped his head in his hand and pouted comically.

"Normally i wouldn't pull the mistake of revealing my evil plans, but they've come to fruition a little… premature. Now, i know you're not into guys, i've seen the way you stare at Evans, its silly honestly."

Snape snarled, about to retort, but Sirius shushed him with a finger to his lips.

"Let me finish Snivellus. Like i said, i know you're not interested in having a lover-boy, but it's amazing what a person will say when someone opens up to them vulnerably. I just wanted something damning to parade in front of the others… luckily you didn't completely ruin the fun, that was still quite a show just now, eh?" Sirius slapped Snape on the cheek smartly as if congratulating him, laughing despite the daggers in Snape's gaze.

"So you didn't mean it? It was just a joke?" Snape hissed, no longer fighting the curse he was placed under.

"You're too cute Snivels, no i don't find you interesting. No i don't think you're ahhhmazing in class." Sirius leaned in close, close enough for their noses to touch. He paused as Snape's breath caught in his chest in shock, "And no, i don't want to kiss you."

Harry sat there appalled, not knowing how to take in what he was seeing. Here he was, upset at his father's behavior, yet Sirius was torturing Snape on a whole different level. Harry had never seen anyone do something so deceptively cruel just to taunt a fellow student. What did Snape ever do to deserve this kind of torture? Sirius just kept pushing his boundaries, now trailing his fingers up and down Snape's magically bound chest, just to toy with him. Snape's face, unable to hide behind his curtain of hair, bared a burning red hue to Sirius's amusement.

"So sorry Snivellus, but you're not my type. I Have my eyes on someone smarter. Someone handsomer. Someone who can be—" He grasped Snape by the belt and pulled him in close, "A _real_ beast between the sheets."

There was no gap between them now as they lay in the grass, anyone looking out from the castle might think they were just one very large Hagrid-sized student. Harry stomach lurched as he thought maybe they were kissing, edging forward warily to see they were not, but only barely. Sirius was whispering now, not even looking Snape in the eyes,

"Unfortunately he'll never see me that way, even though i see all of him, i do everything for him, i became this animal for him… only once in a blue moon does he even notice me, i have to pull stunts like this and he still doesn't even look up…" Sirius was lost in his transgressions now, hands absentmindedly traveling across the creases in Snape's robes.

"S-stop it." Snape hissed, straining now.

"Don't act like you don't like the attention!" Sirius snapped, realizing he was in the midst of taunting his nemesis, "You won't ever get it from anyone else, no one will want you like how i want him, you should just be grateful to get be a surrogate!" Sirius shoved Snape on his back, sitting up and pointing his wand in his face violently.

"And now you have to live with it! Live with being the gay-boy, live with being the fruit! You already pine for someone you will never have so its not like your life will change much! If anything, now you can swoon over Evans without fear of James cutting you up because he'll think you just want her as your beard! So you're very welcome Snivels!"

Sirius seemed to be realizing he was spiraling out of control. He took in a few deep sharp breaths, opening himself up to oncoming breezes of summer. Snape just looked up hopelessly at the distraught, still devilishly handsome Gryfindor, making no attempt to break the jinx he was under. He must have known to resist Sirius at this point would only bring on worse things than what he was already enduring.

"Let me go Black, please."

"No." Sirius clenched his eyes shut as if letting go of reason. "No i don't think i will."

Sirius pressed the tip of his wand sharply into the underside of Snape's chin and let his other hand travel slowly down to the belt of his victim's pants.

"How about i take off Snivelly's pants and leave him here for someone else to find like some pervert?"

Yet whether Sirius carried out on his threat or not, Harry wouldn't get to see, for a hand latched onto his forearm menacingly, capturing his full attention. Harry's stomach dropped painfully as he turned to see the adult version of Severus Snape attached to the arm that had him in a death grip.

"Enjoying yourself Potter?" He snapped, more enraged than Harry had ever seen him. As if yanked by a fish line hooked into his belly, Harry plummeted into the summer sky, through vast darkness, then smacked into the cold hard flagstone of the dungeons.

* * *

><p>High Shipper Mschmnged returns!<p>

Hi guys, sorry for the delay on chapters, theres nothing worse than not having internet for two weeks! Good thing is there is nothing else to do but write so i have a few chapters I'm finishing the editing on for you!

Poor Snape always gets the short end of the stick, and not in the fun smutty way :( This memory was not only needed in the actual books, but this 'twisted' version is needed for explaining Snape's actions and feelings that will flourish throughout this fiction.


	7. The House Points

"What the HELL were you thinking?"

Harry's mind whirled as though he had been smacked in the head with a bludger; his eyes twisted and contorted his vision in a way that made Professor Snape appear scarier than ever before. At first, all Harry could make out was a overbearing mass of black with angry flared eyes and gashing white teeth… it was a thing of Harry's nightmares, and it was coming at him fast. Snape lifted Harry from the ground in his pincer-like grasp; thrashing the boy about carelessly.

"Amusing weren't they, Potter? Did you find them funny?"

"N-no, i didn't—"

Harry didn't know how many more blows to the head he could take, but Snape didn't seem to think he'd had enough. The professor threw him with all his might across the classroom, sending him toppling into a desk with a sick crunch. Mustering what strength he could, Harry scrambled as far away as possible, trying to see straight long enough to find a door.

"You will not say a word! To anyone! I will kill you myself if you do! Now out!" Snape screeched, "OUT! I don't want to see heads or tails of you ever again!"

Jars of dead pickled items bombed around Harry as he fumbled his way out, running as far as his feet would take him. it wasn't until he was three floors away that Harry could no longer move; both out of pain and not knowing where he even wanted to go.

Chest heaving, Harry clawed at his throat, feeling as though he had inhaled shards of glass as he ran. Yet as he looked about, no water to drink was in sight, so he collapsed in a alcove and waited for his body to compensate with saliva and oxygen. His eyes whirled about franticly, finally beginning to see things as there were and not as swirling confusing terrors; he could see he was not far from the toilets Draco was claiming Montague had magically reappeared in. He could go get a drink there… maybe Draco would still be there.

'No!' He thought to himself, 'You're just making excuses to run into him,. Besides, he probably left a long time ago.'

Harry sat there, remembering how he made Malfoy blush before slipping into the Pensive, how amazing that was getting a rise out of him. Draco was normally such a delicate pale color, practically flawless skin with blood boiling so close to the surface, Harry would bet he could get him to blush as red a tomato if he tried. Those grey eyes could get so wide… Harry painfully recalled the tears trickling down from them as Draco let slip about his feelings in Snape's first memory.

So it was confirmed, if Harry wasn't sure he heard Draco confess to Pansy, he certainly heard Draco confess to Snape. Draco Malfoy really did love him then. But why? Harry never gave Malfoy a reason to love him, whenever the Slytherin was cruel to him Harry was cruel right back, he never showed him kindness since the day he awkwardly chatted with him in Madam Malkin's Robes. What had Harry ever done to deserve the affections of a boy who stood on the other side of the war Potter was the focus of? Malfoy was putting himself at risk with these feelings, and with what reward? Shame? Ridicule? Disownment? Death even?

Harry mulled over the painful memories of Snape in his younger years, tormented for so much as getting a love letter from a boy he didn't even have feelings for… it was no wonder now why Snape had been so cruel with Harry, he didn't want to see Draco fall under the same horrid fate. Deep in thought, Harry ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it up messier than before.

'Snape thinks i would do to Draco what Sirius did to him?' He thought, feelings mixed between insulted and terrified, 'I would never do that… but why did Sirius?'

Letting out a guttural roar of frustration, Harry threw a iron torch holder that had been burning in a sconce above him. It clattered across the hall nosily, flame flickering out instantly.

"Potter!"

Harry whirled around at the familiar voice, unable to believe that in a school full of people, the one person to happen by would be the very one he wasn't sure he was ready to see. He stood above the rejected iron torch, posed as if ready to pounce with his shoulders back and feet staggered to brace himself. As a tendril of white blonde hair fell in front of his slit eyes, Draco whipped his head back and looked down at Harry, past his upturned nose.

"What do you think you are doing, throwing school property at a member of the Inquisitorial Squad? I'll dock you house points for that! I'm thinking.. 50?"

Harry's mouth fell. Could the day get any worse? Harry had already put himself on Snape's kill list and had Malfoy discover he was in 'Remedial Potions', now he was losing substantial house points? He was on a losing streak, and he figured why not call the whole day a scratch, see what else he could fuck up. Old rivalries sparked up in Harry, urging him to put Malfoy back in his place. Snape always said Harry was as arogant as his father, why not just give in to his heritage and bully his own enemy for no particular reason.

Standing up tall at his resolution, Harry shoved his hands in his pockets cockily and strutted up to Malfoy, eyeing him with no attempt to hide it. Draco was taken aback, and stared at him wide as Harry got a little close for comfort.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" Harry drawled, circling the Slytherin.

"W-what am i-? What do you mean, i patrol the halls, Potter, you're the one that shouldn't be here! What happened to your _Remedial Potions, _eh?" Draco smirked, he knew he had found the perfect time to exercise his new favorite piece of information.

Harry just chuckled, and reached out for Draco's Inquisitorial Squad badge to inspect it, the blonde jumped back as soon as he felt Harry's hand brush his chest, swatting him away quizzically.

"W-what don't touch that!" He yelled, blushing a little as he clutched his prided emblem.

The red across Draco's pale cheeks fired Harry up, making him want to fluster the Slytherin as much as he could.

"So tell me Malfoy, now that you're in the Inquisitorial Squad, are you still a Head Boy?"

"Well of course, i mean, its sort of the same thing, but now i get more rights than just Head Boy and… i mean Umbridge didn't say there are no more Head Boys and Girls so…" Draco's rational was dissolving quickly and it became obvious he didn't know the answer, but it didn't matter, all Harry needed was the set up.

"Do you get a lot of head, Head Boy? Or do you just give it?"

This seemed to break Malfoy, behind those wide stunned grey eyes Harry could see Draco shatter, his mouth gaped in a loss for words and Harry grinned in satisfaction as the normally perfectly-posied Slytherin turned the deepest hue of red that burned across his entire face.

"Real original, Potter! Like i haven't heard that one before!" He spat.

"Sure you're not a Gryfindor Malfoy? You're wearing my color right now."

"Thirty points from Gryfindor, you insufferable TWAT!" Draco spat at Harry's feet, looking just as surprised at his own actions as Harry. Yet his opponent still advanced, so Draco swung out his arms to pose as if threatening to box.

"Fuck off Malfoy, calm down will you?" Harry grabbed one of Draco's arms and drew him in close, attempting to hold him in a firm clutch, but Malfoy wriggled free, snapping back;

"You can't touch me, Decree Number Twenty-Six clearly states you have to stay eight inches away—!"

"The Decree," Harry hissed, walking up menacingly so Draco had no choice but to back up into the wall, "Will only ban me touching girls." Harry was now only inches from Malfoy, no pause in his advances as he trapped the Slytherin by placing each of his hands on the wall the boy's back was against. "The Decree," Harry glared deep into the uncertain grey eyes of his nemesis, suddenly hot from the proximity he put himself in, "Doesn't care how much i touch you."

Time seemed to crawl slowly like a slug in the grass, Harry gazed unblinking into Draco's eyes until his own began to itch, he was uncomfortably aware that he hadn't stood this close to anyone in a very long time, the heat seemed to roll off their bodies, Draco's heavy breath grazed Harry's collarbone, causing a deep ache to throb in the Gryfindor's groin… he was also painfully aware if he moved his thigh even an inch more it would slide up against Draco's…

"So tell me, " Harry leaned in close to Draco's ear to whisper, "What do i have to do to earn those house points back?"

Harry could hear Draco's breath catch in his chest, he could even hear his heart beating furiously, pumping hot blood through his veins to the flush in Draco's face that was now so temptingly close to his own. Suddenly, Harry was scared. Scared of how close he was to someone he was supposed to hate, so close to losing control, so close to becoming not just his father… but Sirius too. Without thinking, Harry blurted;

"Want my eight inches, Ferret?"

* * *

><p>High Shipper Mschmnged revels in cliff hangers :) more either tonight or tomorrow i'm going to hang on to the next chapter for a little bit to tease a bit hehe<p>

gods, i wish fan fiction would keep my original page set ups, i love cleaning my paragraphs up with tabs...


	8. The Labels

For the hundredth time that day, Harry fell back into the flagstone floor with a loud smack. Draco had shoved him with all his strength and now stood shaking; knuckles white and looking ready to make contact with Harry's jaw if he dared advance. The Slytherin looked postivily furious, Harry had crossed the line and it was clear Draco thought he was only toying with him as Crookshanks would a half-dead mouse.

"Stop it!" He hissed, "Don't fuck with me, Potter!"

Harry couldn't help but stare at Malfoy; in the last few days Harry had seen many facets of his nemesis's emotions but never any directed right at him with such intensity. His grey eyes bore into him with contempt, white-blonde hair a strewn, once blushing face gone ashen with disgust. Yet he was still very handsome; his jawline cut so severely it was striking, a fine blonde stubble crept across it, his school uniform was tailored so clean and slim Harry would have guessed it was sewn right on. Harry got so caught up in Draco's appearance, he forgot to respond, only enraging Malfoy further.

"You're such an ass."

Draco started to take off, then turned as if wanting to wanting to tell Harry off more, but became flustered with a loss for words and tore down the hallways until Harry could no longer see him. Harry sat there, rigid with shock, left with nothing other than his own thoughts… reminding him he was exactly as horrible as his godfather. He had toyed with Draco for his own amusement, not accounting for the turmoil of emotions he had only just witnessed himself no more than an hour ago. Harry dug his nails into his forehead and let the pain rip into his brain, furious at himself for such unforgivable acts.

'Gods he drives me crazy!' Harry thought, 'I don't know what the fuck to do around him anymore! Other than make an ass of myself… more like an ass of him.' Harry hung his head, wrought with thoughts of how close he was to reliving his dream, imagining he still felt remnants of Draco's warm thighs only inches away from his own… and knowing what was between them…

'So am i really… gay?' Harry tried to imagine himself with others, Dean, Seamus, Fred… or George for that matter, but it only made his stomach flip sickly. He had actually seen the last two in the Quidditch showers, evenly endowed like exact the copies of each other they were. He also had seen Oliver fully nude, baring his whole self to Harry… soft and oddly hanging, Harry had never thought about it as anymore than the organ Oliver used to piss with. Yet when he thought on the dream, where who Harry had thought was Cedric turned out to be Malfoy… drenched in hot scented waters, slim chest sliding across Harry's, those same warm thighs now actually intertwined with his… the erect flesh that pressed eagerly against his own… Harry gasped.

"Are you ok, Harry?"

"AH!" Harry screamed a little louder than he would have liked, practically snapping his neck as he turned to see Luna Lovegood. She stood above him curiously, turnip earrings swinging about. Her arms were full of red meat, she had clearly been to the school's kitchens for rations.

"S-sorry Luna, you scared me, i'm fine." Harry stood up quickly, getting a bit of a head rush, "I just have been… uh, tripping a lot lately."

"Oh," she chipped, "Suppose it could be Nargles."

"I suppose."

"Would you like to hold my things?" Luna asked.

"What?" Harry looked incredulously at the meat that was dripping in her arms, staining her robes.

"Well, i just figured you'd want to hide," she looked down at his trousers, "Your Snorkack Horn."

Harry looked down to see he was at half-mast, bulging a bit in his tight pants. He had gotten too wrapped up in his memories of the dream and his latest encounter, forgetting to keep himself under control. Turning a rich shade of red, he held out his arms to accept the stack of raw meats to hide his own. Luna handed them over, smiling sweetly, unpurbed by Harry's problem, and began to walk down the hall, sleeves dripping a little with blood, so Harry followed.

"Where are you going with all this?" He asked, trying to not drop the slippery slabs.

"The Thestrals of course," she sang, "I like to get out of the castle as much as possible, really."

"Well… aren't you lonely?"

"Not really, i like being alone, not many others get me how i do."

Harry chuckled a little, He usually never knew what to think of Luna's brutal honestly, but it was the breath of fresh air he needed just then. As she walked in front of him, Harry found himself watching her long wavy blonde hair bounce about… He really was beginning to like blonde hair a lot. Then he wondered, 'If I'm gay… then i wouldn't find her attractive…' He couldn't help himself from investigating this thought now, letting his eyes wander over her petite curvy form… she had the cutest calves, Harry never noticed calves on a person before or ever thought they could be attractive but they were… and her butt was a perfect shape, not too big not too small, filled out her school slacks just right…

"You're going to need more things to hide behind…"

Harry looked up surprised, Luna had caught him staring at her ass as she walked, and was now falling back to be in step next to him. Turning as red as Malfoy had been earlier with him, Harry apologized profusely.

"I'm so sorry, i didn't' mean to! I just- oh gods… i just wanted to see if i felt anything… i mean, not that i was going to feel THAT anything, but… ugh, ok let me explain…"

"It's ok, calm down, you're fine Harry, i'm not mad."

"I know, but it's not that i like you like that! I mean, not that i couldn't, you're very pretty, i just… fuck um, i've been really confused and i just wanted to make sure that i'm… um…"

"Here," Luna stopped outside the school's doors going out to the grounds, closing them behind her. She grabbed the stacks of meat, setting them aside on a stone gargoyle's lap, and indicated a stone stair for them both to sit on. Harry sat defeated, looking out wearily at the vast grounds and skies before them. taking a deep breath, he looked over to see Luna looking at him patiently, letting him find his own pace.

"OK, so… yesterday i overheard… a guy likes me. And now i'm all confused because i had this dream about… another guy, and then that guy… and i keep thinking about that guy and i think i might… like that guy."

Luna cocked her eyebrow, obvious she was doing her best to keep up without names.

"But does that mean i'm gay? I liked Cho, i didn't hate kissing her… i didn't hate it a lot anyway. But i just feel like i would know if i was gay-gay, shouldn't i know that? Why am i only feeling that now?"

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Luna quipped, "It's because he likes you. You're feeling that emotion from him and its awakening something in you. Cho didn't like you for you, not how this… guy probably does."

"So… i'm gay?"

Luna sighed, and stared out into the distance, a small smile on her lips. Harry felt very comfortably talking to her, he knew somehow she would keep this in confidence and not judge him how Hermione and Ron might on instinct.

"Harry, it's ok not to have a label for it."

"A label?"

"Some things don't have a name. And thats ok. It doesn't make it any less real. It just makes it your own. You shouldn't be scared of it just because no one else feels it, you should explore it, it's your next adventure, Harry Potter." Luna smiled at him in her hazy way.

Harry stared at her, unsure how to process what she was saying. Not gay? Not straight? So what then?

"Maybe I'm bi then?"

"No no, Harry, you're not getting it, you are what you are, not what other people are going to call you. When you say you're Bi, thats limiting who you can be and giving people a box to put you in. Just love and be loved, the rest isn't important."

Harry tried to soak in the indirect deepness of Luna's statement. Then something hit him. He turned at looked at Luna, deep into her saucer-like eyes.

"Who do you like Luna?"

"I like…" she hummed a little, seemingly happy with getting to mull over his question, "I like Hogwarts. I like Quidditch matches. I like the Quibbler. I like Thestrals.…" she looked back at Harry, seemingly knowing this wasn't the answer he was expecting. "I like adventures, i like my friends. And that's ok. That's all i need."

Luna bounded up from her step and twirled in the grassy courtyard in some funny dance, perfectly blissful. Harry watched, perplexed, wishing he could feel the same thoughtless happiness Luna stayed induced by.

* * *

><p>High Shipper Mschmnged must say Luna is an amazing girl. Harry needs her friendship so much to realize what actually important in life. Most of the time Harry doesn't go into things alone but lately in this story he's been braving it all with no help and he needed to be reminded he will always have friends in Hogwarts. Luna is the perfect candidate because she believes in just being herself and nothing else, and i love how she is often portrayedinterpreted as asexual. i feel like that is sometimes harder for people to understand than homosexuality and Luna is an amazing poster child for it. i still don't like labeling her as exactly that but it suits her pretty closely :) i myself firmly believe in no labels, i will love who i love, for who they are and not their body/gender. I am NOT saying physical attractiveness doesn't play into relationships, that is the tinder to a flame that is already there, obviously Harry wouldn't be able to stomach getting kinky with Flitch in his S&M dungeons! He wants the fire of Draco's personality AND the heat of Draco's supa hot seeker bod ;P


	9. The Room

After the Thestrals were happily fat with the fresh beef cuts, Harry and Luna meandered back up to the castle, chatting peacefully about their favorite passages from 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'. After Luna finished going through all the name ideas she had for the Fwooper she would eventually want to own (Siren being Harry's favorite due to the nature of the bird's song slowly turning the owner insane), they parted ways; Luna trotted off to the Ravenclaw dorms for bed and Harry took to whatever hall looked most familiar.

Soon the halls would be off limits since the night had settled in, but Harry was restless and was not in the mood for any more interactions with others. He was sure Hermione and Ron would be distraught about his absence and would be expecting a long-winded explanation. Harry wanted to give one of those about as much as he wanted to write a essay for Snape on the importance of cleaning your cauldron after every potion concocted.

Harry needed sleep though, it was weighing on his eyes heavily, but there was no way he could avoid an entire common room of Gryfindors and and a small dorm room where Ron's bed sat beside his own… then again, he didn't want to sleep on a stone floor under his invisibility cloak, he had enough bruises from being thrown about all day.

Gazing at the tapestries on the walls, Harry remembered an important tapestry, one where a wizard thickly tried to teach trolls a particular dance, important simply because it was adjacent to a room undetectable even by the Marauder's Map. The Room of Requirement never seemed to care about the hours of the day and it's only limits pertained to food; surely it could become a temporary place for Harry to sleep and avoid others. The weary Gryfindor took off down the corridors to the seventh floor as fast as his feet would take him. For a moment Harry feared he had seen the ragged tuft that was Mrs Norris's tail, yet upon reaching the desired hall, he was still undisturbed. He paced three times and thought as clear and distinctly as possible;

'I need a bedroom, i need a place to sleep alone, i need a room for myself.'

Relief washed over him as the wall began to etch an ornate doorway into itself, swinging it open invitingly. Harry smiled, The Room had always been lovely but that was a nice new touch. Stepping inside, Harry took in what The Room had put together just for him; it was small, but the celling arched up tall and dramatically, lined with thick plain tapestry. Giving a tented arabian vibe, the cream fabric draped down to the floors, parting way for one slim window that revealed the Quidditch pitch blue with night. The walnut-stained wood floors were cut in a striking herringbone pattern, and a plush fur rug sat in front of a large pit that was the bed. The Room must have figured out that Harry hadn't been sleeping still lately, prone to rolling out of his four poster, and decided to sink the bed into the floor and overflowed it with mismatched pillows.

"YESSSS, Room, you're the best!" Harry felt compelled to hug one of the lined walls, despite not being sure if The Room was sentient enough to feel his gratitude.

Quickly, Harry stripped himself down to nothing but his faded boxers and stretched, popping bones that had ached the whole day. Yet as he twisted his torso back, he saw a lone hook on the door that had closed behind him, a fresh pair of blue briefs in just his size dangling from it innocently.

"Holy Helga, can i stay here every night?" Harry asked, baring down to the buff and shimmying into the most comfortable pair of skivvies he had ever worn. These certainly weren't the cheap eight-pack undies from the dollar store like Aunt Petunia bought him, these felt as if they had been woven with the soft fur of a Puffskein.

Stepping up to the pit of pillows, Harry curled his toes around the edge and posed to dive like a child at the public pool. Doing a twist in the air so he landed on his back, Harry rebounded back up unnaturally high for a mattress, laughing as he bounced a few more times. He was reminded of a trampoline belonging to one of the neighbors on Privet Drive he wasn't allowed on, smirking as he recalled Dudley's fat rippled and flapped when he attempted to bounce; it was honestly shocking that he didn't rip the surface and fall through.

Settling into the bed and rearranging the pillows that had gone flying about with him, Harry found himself pleased that the afternoon managed to be quite a pleasant one after what a disaster the first half of it had been. He was finally at peace… in a bedroom that was his own, something he had never had before. Gazing out of the window at the empty Quidditch pitch, Harry resolved to fly sometime the next day.

It was always the perfect therapy; the weightlessness was uplifting, the wind crisp and refreshing, the view unfathomably beautiful… Hogwarts always looked so serene from above; bathed in the warm glaze of the sun, foliage rippling about in the breeze. Harry took a deep breath, filling his nostrils with the smell of a seasoned fall; it seemed to renew his body, as if all the organs were replaced anew and the blood pumped cleaner. Harry soared a little higher, lifted by an oncoming gust; nothing mattered up here… his hair could be ruffled because of wind, he could be blushing and anyone would think it was just windburn, he could even say any thought come to mind and have it carried away into the abyss. Lost in his thoughts, Harry almost didn't see the glint of gold fluttering in his peripherals.

'The Snitch!' Harry thought excitedly, not realizing he had been in the middle of a Quidditch game.

Pressing close to his broom, Harry took off at lightening quick speeds, now seeing the pitch was indeed filled to capacity and the air was filled with red and green streaks. Harry nearly fell off his broom.

'Green?' He thought, 'Shit, i'm playing against Malfoy!'

Deciding winning the house cup was more important than his… well, whatever it was that was going on between him and Malfoy, Harry marked the blonde as his nemesis once more. He was nearing the teasing snitch when he suddenly felt the presence of another, turning to see Malfoy's trajectory was closing in on him. Keeping his eyes on the prize, Harry paid no mind as the Slytherin matched his speed side by side, bracing for contact. Sure enough, the opponent played dirty and slammed into the side of him, so Harry ribbed back with his own shoulder, pressing them tight against each other.

"It's mine, Potter!"

Competitive side flaring up inside of him, Harry turned to glare at his enemy, ready to throw some insults, whatever it would take to unseat him, but gaped in shock as he saw Draco was shirtless. Were they playing shirts and skins? Harry could have sworn he had seen the Green of their uniforms streaking across the skies… Malfoy didn't look back at him though, muscling his way ahead of Harry, torso taut with rippling muscles fit for a predator.

Harry let out a roar of frustration, not understanding how Draco managed to outstrip his Firebolt, now stuck with a view of Draco's arched back as he blocked any chance of Harry getting past him. All Slytherin Quidditch uniforms consisted of spandex-like pants with knee pads, much like the Gryfindors, but these looked different on Draco somehow. The cream color almost melted seamlessly with the boy's milky complexion, clinging like a second skin over the rounded flesh which jutted out nicely that was Malfoy's… Harry realized he had stopped playing attention to if they were still following the snitch and was instead staring at Malfoy's ass.

Mentally slapping himself, Harry concentrated as he devised a plan. Loosening his grip, Harry heard the crowd gasp as he slipped sideways on his broom. Now upside down, Harry pressed forward, flying directly under Malfoy; undetected. The blonde did not notice his opponent right away, giving Harry the perfect moment to reach out and grab the Nimbus Two Thousand and One, pulling the broomstick up against his own so he could hold them both in his grasp.

"Potter?! What are you doing?"

The broomsticks sang a little as they rubbed against one another, pushing and pulling, but Harry kept a firm grasp to Draco's dismay. It was the perfect plan; Harry was going to toss the other boy's broom off course, giving him the head start and possibly inevitable win, but then something Harry didn't count on happened… his thigh brushed against Malfoy's. Finally, the thigh that had been so tauntingly close hours before now touched his own, pressing hotly through the thin fabric. Harry's stomach boiled, the simple contact sent electric shocks straight to his groin; desire now overrode his competitiveness. Then it wasn't just one thigh touching, both pressed against his and their legs tangled as Harry enterlocked his own around Draco's broomstick in attempt to stay straddled in the air.

"Ha-Potter, what are you—?"

Harry reached up, locking eyes with his surprised opponent, and grasped the back of his neck, pulling the other boy down into a greedy kiss. Lips, chapped from the unforgiving air, wet as they pressed and pushed each other. A strand of stray blonde hair fell into the fray, so Harry brushed a hand through Malfoy's soft hair, pulling the boy's head back as he overpowered him with his lust. As they tried to adjust more comfortably, Harry groaned involuntarily into the other boy's mouth as his spandex-clad groin slid against his enemies', both as stiff as their brooms. How they had managed this whole time without cups on their parts for protection, Harry didn't know, but Harry didn't care.

"Oh gods, m-more… get up here, Potter."

The Gryfindor abandoned his broom and successfully hijacked the Slytherin's, breaking their kiss to sit upright as his straddled the smoothed mahogany backwards. Yet he was knocked back, spine slamming into the broom, as Draco climbed on top of him, the heated thighs Harry loved so much wrapping around his torso and locking them both onto the speeding broom. Draco's cock pressed against Harry's stomach as he put his weight into Potter's lap, grinding rhythmically, sending Harry into a frenzy.

"Aah! Draco, don't stop, thats—"

The Gryfindor's brain became overpowered with fireworks as he felt himself riding the edge, feeling almost blinded as little sparks fizzled in his vision. He wasn't sure how much he could take, Harry was sure he would pop if Draco kept rubbing against his cock like that. Harry felt his Quidditch shirt being ripped from his body, warm strong hands contrasted the wind's sharp bite as they slid across his chest. The blonde's mouth ravaged his neck, nibbling on a tendon that reverberated down his whole body. Harry bucked, eyes flying open wide as he began to peek, when he saw something he didn't expect.

Flying right above them was the snitch. The winged orb was inches from his nose, it almost felt as if it were watching them… Curiously, Harry let go of Draco's thigh and captured the snitch with ease.

"And Potter's got the snitch! What a catch! Great distraction play from the Gryfindor seeker, Malfoy didn't see it coming, though he might be cuming himself..."

Lee Jordan's commentating echoed loud across the crowded pitch Harry had forgotten all about; his stomach flipped sickly as the many faces of his school peers came into focus. How had he forgotten they were in the middle of a game? Harry gasped as one of Draco's hands grasped the bulging outline of his cock and squeezed- making it very obvious how it was so easy to forget the crowd.

then it dawned on Harry… if he and Draco were busy doing… well, what they were doing… who was steering the broom?

Panicked, Harry looked down and only saw a black abyss, no grass of the pitch floor, just nothingness. Terrified, he lost his balance, slipped, and almost fell off the broom, now dangling from one hand. Having sent Draco toppling off, he watched, absolutely guilt-ridden, as the handsome boy fell screaming into the nothingness until it swallowed him whole. Harry's hand was slick with sweat from their heated affair, and soon slipped from the broom handle, condemning Harry to fall to the same demise.

Then Harry woke.

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><p>High Shipper Mschmnged decrees; "SPLOOSH" finally some more action! dream action, but actions none the less! and this is the hyper-realistic dreams harry is supposed to be fighting with occlumency so you know its going to suck waking up to find out it didn't happen! i always thought mid-air quid ditch sex would be so hot, but it only really makes sense in dreams, it would be too hard to do in real life with steering, splinters and broomstick wedgies.<p>

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><p>OH! and i just remembered, i want to warn you guys for future chapters: i portray Harry as top and Draco as bottom. i hate it when i start reading a great fan fiction and its the other way around, i only just realized this when i went on a fanfic binge a few days ago and was disappointed, i couldn't keep reading after discovering Draco as a top! I hate that i can't accept Draco as a top, i wouldn't be as limited in reading material, but i just can't envision it! It's silly because in real same-sex relationships it's unlikely one is the top and only the top, but i just can't see it in this ship, its frustrating honestly. i hope the rest of you aren't as picky about it as i am, i hate to disappoint since it seems like theres more people out there interested in Draco(T)Harry(B). None the less i just wanted to warn you guys. Sorry it's a late warning! Ship on Garth!

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><p>[UPDATE] so someone reminded me of another important detail! i do not portray Draco as a super effeminate lady-boy. i try to stick to the character development JKR made me fall in love with and i try to stay true to the characters as i came to know them; Draco might be into the finer things and appearances but he is no lady. i don't do mpreg stuff either, i leave that hardship to the women, besides these guys are still too young, i don't want to encourage teen pregnancy, these guys are too clueless to raise a SlythenDor _ I'm NOT bashing fics who do either of these, I'm just saying i don't do it myself so you all know what you're getting into. don't be mad at me, i think I'm funny for some reason :(<p> 


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